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Posted by Paul-the-other on 18:50:41 01/21/09
Our trip to Ding Darling and Tiger Tail over the Martin Luther King Weekend began with a great sighting of the Caracara along Snake Road into the Big Cypress Indian Reservation. Two birds were feeding on road kill raccoon about 1 mile south of the Museum. We took many pictures and were struck by the very visible bands (silver, light green on one leg and deep blue on the other leg) on one bird and none on the other. If that wasn't enough, about miles north of the Museum complex a flock of one tom and 5 hen turkeys were walking along the road and spooked at our car approach and flew into a orange grove on the west side.
Ding Darling was very dry as high winds kept the tides from entering the flat areas. Every fisherman we saw there commented on the extremely low water. Which naturally meant no shore birds. Pelicans and sea gulls were abundant and raccoons everywhere. Crowds were reduced by cold (46) recession and who knows what else.
Bunche beach was a delight. Several hundred skimmers moved back and forth displaying their talents. Sanderlings, BBplovers and one spotted sandpiper allowed close approach. Not to be outdone, a reddish egret took up headquarters at one of several little ponds carved out by tides and danced its way into our hearts and digital cameras. It had no tolerance for a snowy and little blue egret and heron and drove them away fiercely. After a short time there an oyster catcher appeared with two (2) green leg bands with the identity of "F and 6") apparent. Photographers are well advised to try Bunche Beach for great photo ops. Crowds were non-existent. Most people there were on bird tours or very polite seasonal visitors. Several from England.
Tiger Tail had few people. Even fewer birds. The highlight was talking with other photographers and exchanging field notes and equipment. We all agreed on one thing: don't take the fine "sugar sand" for granted on TT and Bunche. IT will crest havoc if it gets into your equipment.
One of the more productive sightings was along the wave break on the south side of the second bridge to Sanibel/Captiva. Hundreds of shore birds were huddled in large groups. BB plovers, sanderings, willets, palmated sandpipers and some other small birds that were so puffed up to keep warm it was difficult to tell what they were.
A visit to Louis and Leons home produced a view of many goldfinch, painted buntings, indigo buntings. They reported a pine siskin sighting. (See Larry, you aren't the only dreamer)
We also received a report of a "new place" referred to as Haynes Swamp off of Lehigh Acre Road. Roseate, limpkin and ibis are supposed to be there in great numbers as there is a large number of apple snails this years. We haven't been there yet.
Another thing that caught our attention was the size of many of the kingfishers. They seemed much larger than the ones on the Florida East coast. Is this possible?
And one last comical observation. At the "bridge huddle" as we called it (see above) we were struck with how many of the sandering had only one leg (so we thought). Every time these birds moved they hopped on one leg. It looked like children playing hop-scotch on a playground. By the score they hopped this way and that. Remarkable adaptation to a traumatic injury we thought. Not so! When it came time to really run, down came the other leg and away they went. Cute!
On Monday a cold front passed quickly with rain but cleared. Water returned to Ding Darling and birds were plentiful. Our last drive through ding Darling produced the ground dove ( a common enough bird) which has eluded us for some reason for years. We discussed that to some length because many birders take pains to find the black billed ani which were back yard birds in Lauderdale by the Sea in 1950 s. So were ground dove. Now they are few and far between. At least the ani are. Anyway, our search for pictures of the ground dove and also the caracara is now concluded and we can move on to the next elusive bird.
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